Growth market

It’s the fourth day of the RPS Advent Calendar and today it’s rainy.

But it’s nice rainy - relaxing.

There’s a purring cat.

A cartoony drawing of Horace The Endless Bear, in a Santa hat and snuggled by/atop a fireplace, regarding three Christmas stockings hung above it. Each contains something from a different game that came out this year

You’ve got a brew on, and nothing in particular planned.

Maybe you’ll recatalogue your rustling, living inventory.

What else could it be butStrange Horticulture!

Cover image for YouTube video

So what I would actually like is to run a shop like Strange Horticulture.

Which of these plants will open a lock?

There’s a deeper mystery, too, but what I most loved about Strange Horticulture was that tactility.

The main screen from Strange Horticulture, showing the moment when a plant (Meakdew) is correctly identified by the player. In the background, it’s a dismal day as seen from the windows of a shop filled with plants, and a black cat sleeps on a counter to the right.

What a lovely, and slightly sinister shopkeeper to be.

Then I remembered that my partner is just a big softie when it comes to cats.

I still did it every time, though, because you should be nice to Hellebore.

From Strange Horticulture, a map of the Lake District open on a table with a magnifying glass and playing card placed over it.

Now remember: it’s scritches for Hellebore,thenring the bell.